


You came back

by thatdragonchic



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 5a au, Derek Helps Stiles, M/M, Missing Scene, One-Sided Theo Raeken/Stiles Stilinski, Rewritten Scene, honestly, how 5a should be, one sided steo, or i guess, secret boyfriends, sterek, sterek reunite, these two are plotting, they're getting revenge, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:22:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdragonchic/pseuds/thatdragonchic
Summary: Derek comes back a few episodes into 5a and not because Scott needs him but because he needs to protect Stiles--for trent u.u





	You came back

**Author's Note:**

> its 3 am and i dunno really know what is happening at this point but I had to finish this fic???? Like i HAD to? So yeah, chapter 2 will def be better hopefully. Leave your comments tho

Stiles walks in, not really expecting much movement, other than the occasional moth that finds it’s way in from the windows as he enters the loft. It didn’t smell like him anymore, his scent had faded off the couch, from the untouched bedspread. His lingering presence gone, but somehow, when he sat there and spoke to the walls, it felt like maybe Derek was still upstairs, maybe he was headed back by the freezer to get chicken to cook, maybe things were okay, his secret boyfriend was there---  _ ex  _ boyfriend. Derek left, he wasn’t his anymore, they’d cut their ties because long distance wasn’t his thing. But god… Stiles knew they were ‘mates’ long before Derek ever left, he was so sure Derek was forever. A wolf couldn’t leave his mate right? 

Well…  _ Well _ , Derek left so… now he was here, clinging onto the man that was likely to never come back, but from the second he walks in the air is different. Everything feels different. It’s not stale anymore, a window is opened and he near about fucking panics. Had somebody bought it? Who gave them the right? And to open the windows, to let his presence sink away completely, he panicked, that is until he caught sight of an awfully familiar jacket on the chair and heavy footsteps that resembled far too closely to ones he knew and- 

“Derek?” 

“Stiles… What are you doing here?” He asks, obviously off guard and wide eyed.

“I… well okay no what are  _ you  _ doing here? You kinda left me on short notice, I think you have more explaining to do than I do.”

“You’re in my house.”

“Are you really going to push your luck right now because I’m not happy!”

“And god forbid Stiles was ever unhappy.”

“Yes God Forbid, Stiles who spends his every waking moment in agonizing pain be unhappy with the man he was so certain loved him enough to maybe spend the rest of his life with him, maybe feel obligated just enough but that deep connection and feeling he thought he had with this man that maybe they would retain a long distance relationship. I mean I literally have no reason to be upset with the fact you didn’t even  _ tell me  _ you were coming home-”

“Stiles-”

“To think, I was sitting here thinking you’d never return-”

“Stiles…”

“Good as dead to me!”

“Stiles!”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, this was… last minute, I… it hurt to leave you, okay? But I… Every second I’d have to spend distance with you would be worse than any second I spent knowing that maybe you’d be happy with somebody else at least-”

“No!”

“Stiles listen! I regret it, and I missed you but it’s not why I’m here. Scott called, freaked out, and I… I thought maybe you were hurt, maybe something would happen to you because you have that freaky way about you that  _ everything _ bad has to happen to you-”

“I can protect myself-”

“I can protect you better.”

Stiles crosses his arms, staring past Derek, eyes a bit bleary with tears as he shakes his head. “You’re not allowed to do this,” he whispers as Derek treads lightly, with great caution towards him. “You don’t get to come back and suddenly proclaim you’re protecting me.”

“I’m not good with a phone, but I was planning on bringing flowers,” he offers.

Stiles nods bitterly and Derek is standing mere inches from him, Stiles doesn’t push him away. “Daffodils and snapdragons, carnations… a whole basket of flowers for you. You know, the kind you really like.”

“The kind you only give me when you know I’ll be upset with you?” Stiles offers and Derek tilts his head cutely.

“I missed you… You know I missed you, you know it hurt me more than ever to leave you,” he whispers and suddenly they’re too close and Stiles is looking directly at him, he’s buying whatever Derek is selling and somehow he doesn’t need wolf sense to know that he’s not lying. “No matter who knows, or doesn’t know, if this is our secret until we’re 40 or until tomorrow… I’m gonna be here. I’m here for good and the next time I decide to leave, you’re going to leave with me.”

Stiles softens, tilts his nose up just slightly so they’re breathing the same air, and he blinks, trying to keep his tears at bay. Derek is here and he’s real and- “Jesus you romantic piece of shit. Maybe I’ll forgive you if I get sunflowers?”

Derek’s brows raise with his smile and Stiles leans up just slightly to kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Things are different now,” he whispers. “Everything is so different…”

“Because of the doctors? Scott says you’ve been paranoid.”

“With good reason!” he defends.

“Scott’s coming over soon.”

“He’s blinded by his hope.”

“Bitter.”

“Not known to be much else.” 

“Sarcastic also fits.”

Stiles rests his head on Derek’s shoulder. “When is soon?”

“What?”

“You said… Scott’s coming over soon. How soon?”

“Maybe thirty minutes?”

Stiles nods and Derek watches him carefully before nudging their noses together and he can hear Stiles’ hopeful intake of breath, his lips parting just slightly, and Derek doesn’t think he’s ever wanted anything that bad before. 

“Kiss me for Christ's sake.”

“You’re a sinner I hope you know that.”

Stiles sighs and shakes his head, draping his arms precariously over Derek’s shoulders, the two meeting in a soft kiss breaths catching in their throats. One kiss turns into two, and two kisses turning into six, and it’s really not long before Stiles finds himself pressed against one of the metal beams in the apartment, his head foggy with emotion, and he parts lips if not to catch his breath, to say something. 

“I know you needed…. Space or whatever.. You deserve that Derek, just-”

“Things got bad?”

“Really bad…”

“What’s really bad?”

“Crazy dread doctors turning teenagers murderous, or even worse, turning murderous teenagers into indestructible sociopaths who- and Theo, you know Theo bugs me. No… he beyond bugs me. Something is wrong with him and I… nobody believes me. Nobody else sees it but I swear it’s going to bite us in the ass, i mean… I’m already doing my time, he’s really bit me in the ass for doubting him, he’s so adamant it makes no sense. He  _ vies  _ for my attention and I don’t get it.”

“What do you mean it’s biting you in the ass?”

“He… I…. it’s complicated.”

“We’ve got some time to burn.”

“You don’t know a damn thing, I tell you and this never leaves you again… not to Scott, not to Deaton, don’t even spit right back to me.”

“What are you talking about, Stiles?” Derek has that edge of irritation trailing his voice, a hint of distaste.

“I… I fell asleep at the library one night- no don’t laugh, don’t look amused, just let me… I fell asleep and I was going to go home but the jeep broke down and then… Then I felt pain and I turn around and Donovan bit me with his hand-”

“Donovan…?”

“Some kid who hates my dad, and me apparently, but he bit me and I hit him with my wrench you know? Tried to get away… tried to run.”

“Okay…” 

“And i did… I ran, I made it into the library, thinking I’m safe! He can’t get in.”

“He got in?”

“Got in and taunted me until he found me about ripping my legs off, about watching me bleed, about gorging in blood or something absurd like that and going after my dad, about killing him too. And then he finds me and I can’t… I’m not like you guys, even if he’s a chimera, I couldn’t… fight him, so I ran. I didn’t even… mean to do it. I was- I… and the… he…”

“ _ Breathe  _ Stiles, it’s okay…”

“It’s not okay,” he says softly, eyes full of panic and clouded by memories. “It’s not okay. I pulled the pin and these poles ran down, I thought they’d hit him Derek. I thought- What was the likelihood of-” he sighs hopeless, rubbing the tears from his eyes. “I murdered him.”

“You did not murder him.”

“He’s-”

“And if he wasn’t, you and your father would be.”

“And Theo knows… Theo knows… Theo saw it, and you know? He didn’t come out to help me. He saw it happen and figured, hey Stiles is better off on his own. But three days later, not even, I don’t know… I… Jesus fuck I don’t know what happened to me but all of a sudden I’m with my parents on the roof and she’s yelling that I wanted to kill her, seemed like she’d jump-”

“Stiles…” Derek sounds so  _ upset.  _

“I was eight… I loved her, I loved her and she thought- No i don’t even know if that really happened but… she attacks me and I think it’s just a delusion but suddenly i’m really on the roof, I’m really being hurt and who’s there to save me? Theo… Theo Raeken. Gives me a spiel on self defense, on how he did it to protect me… but why then on the roof but not in the library?” Stiles is whispering but it’s fierce and bitter and anger.

Derek wraps his hands around one of Stiles, taking his pain and Stiles is reduced to tears. Derek can smell all the pain, all the self hatred, all the  _ guilt.  _ He was hopeless, he was searching. Derek takes Stiles pain until it’s too painful. “And you know? I never told Scott about us but he used you against me like… you two were the same fucking situation. Like… Like I’d fall woe to Theo for just being pretty. No… No he doesn’t get that benefit of the doubt. You saved me, I saved you… we worked together, I worked my ass off to be in this spot with you right now. What has he done? What is he planning?”

“Stiles calm down.”

“You have to listen to me! I’m not crazy I swear, he’s-”

“I know. I believe you… I know.”

“Scott doesn’t believe me…”

“Well… you and me are just going to have to do this alone…”

“Do I think of a plan then?”

Derek nods slowly and Stiles sighs, relief evident in the way his chest falls inward, Derek can hear the flutter of Stiles heart, the way his eyes just drop to the floor. Derek leans in and presses a soft kiss to Stiles lips, tilting his head up just slightly before parting. “I think our time is up…”

“I think… we’re going to have to do a lot more pretending... “

“Oh?”

“I have a plan.”

“And that is?”

“Trick Theo… Trick all of them. We have to seem bitter, we have to seem like we abhor each other all over again. And you know, Scott is going to talk all about how close I used to be to you and Theo will catch on… he’ll catch on as we soften our trade remarks, stare longingly occasionally… these small things that I always seem to pick up, I know he’ll notice. He’ll see it, he’ll see an opposing alpha and he’ll want to take it… He’ll… I don’t know what his end goal is exactly but I know that he’s going to notice and he’s going to do something about it. If he’s so adamant on my approval to be in Scott’s pack, he’s not going to be happy that I’m gravitating to another Alpha.”

“Smart,” Derek offers.

“A man of few words.”

“Always.”

They both smile and Stiles kisses him once last time. “You owe me dinner and sunflowers by the way.”

“And what will you tell people when they ask you who bought them?”

“My secret admirer of course.”

Derek’s phone buzzes and he takes it from his back pocket, leaning over Stiles reads  _ on my way over  _ from Scott. “That’s your cue to leave.”

Stiles nods. “Don’t forget… as far as Scott knows I was never here.”

“No never…” Derek whispers. “I… I think we need to talk more about what happened though, can I come over later?”

“Yeah… yeah definitely,” Stiles says, eyes flicking about the apartment, like the walls would hear and spit his sin right back at him. 

Derek gives him a slight playful shove in the way of the elevator and Stiles raises his brows with an offended expression that melts into a smile and he raises his hands in defeat as he turns on his heels and walks towards the elevator. He smiles to himself, something feeling a little more right inside as he leaves… for once coming to Derek’s loft in a time of need didn’t bring him pain or memories that he felt like he could never bring back, it left a good feeling in his chest, it felt like his boyfriend was home and everything might be okay. 

“I’ll see you tonight,” he offers as the elevator doors open and Derek is leaning to look out the windows at the view of Beacon Hills and he nods. 

“Yeah…” he agrees. “And don’t cook.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah I’ll bring something to pregame that dinner I owe you.”

Stiles nods and watches him softly. It felt good to finally have someone be on his side. He steps in and the doors close and he thinks Derek might hear the  _ I love you  _ in his heart from the way it flutters, it’s too bad he can’t hear it back. 

\---

Scott shows at the loft hardly ten minutes after Stiles leaves, entering with a sense of duty and Derek is emptily staring at the pages of a book, because all he can think of is  _ Stiles _ . He could lie so easy and say he never knew what it was to be a lovesick fool but he fell over and over again but this time it’s right, and he was going to make things right. But that didn’t matter now, because Scott was here and he had… well he must have something to say to bring him all the way over here. 

“I… I don’t know how to fix this,” he admits to Derek and Derek raises an eyebrow in question. 

“Fix what?” 

“The Dread Doctor problem.”

“Which is…”

“They’re…. Turning kids into chimeras and then killing them, and taking them. And there’s somebody else taking the bodies and Stiles…. When i said he was acting weird I mean… he’s just so on edge lately. I hate feeling like his enemy.”

Derek nods, taking it in. Pieces felt missing. What about Theo? What about Theo? What about Theo?

“Why is he on edge? I mean… he is human, he could be taken candidate for one of these dread doctors, don’t you think?”

“No he’s…. He’s worried about our old friend Theo but Theo is… he’s scared and alone. He needs a pack Derek.”

Derek nods, arms crossed. “Are you sure?”

“Totally.”

Derek nods, looking to Scott. “What do you need me to do?”

“I… I need you to help me. Help me figure out how to stop them from killing people, from hurting people. Help me figure out who’s taking the bodies. I need… I need some kind of help.”

“Stiles isn’t helping?”

“He’s a bit hellbent right now.”

“What about your other little friends?”

“We… We need you Derek. We need another alpha. I can’t be the only one, I need somebody.”

“And I’m here… I’m here but I can’t promise what I do will have any real effect.”

“Better than nothing,” Scott says, watching Derek desperately and Derek nods slowly watching him. “Maybe… Maybe you can talk to Stiles too. I don’t… well, I know you guys were friendly before you left and, maybe he’ll listen to you.”

“About?”

“Theo.”

“I don’t know Theo.”

“But I do, and you trust me don’t you?”

He trusts Stiles but Scott doesn’t know Stiles was there to begin with. He tilts his head to the side in response. “Doesn’t mean I trust Theo.” Vague enough, good enough. 

“Just… take him off the edge, I’m worried about him.”

“Don’t you still trust him?” Derek asks and Scott’s brow furrows.

“Of course, but… you have to hear him, he’s going nuts over this. He… he’s picking on the slightest details, looking for signs that aren’t there. Derek it’s not… doing him good. Just… talk to him. Get something out of him, I want to understand.”

“Why don’t you ask him then?”

“Because he is spewing the same rhetoric to me over and over. Maybe you’ll get something I haven’t.”

“Yeah okay. Like Stiles would trust me.”

“Stiles does trust you.”

“Did trust me. I left, remember?”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still trust you and we all know you needed to leave.”

Derek nods slowly, as if he was genuinely considering this, Stiles trusting him. All will be well after forgive-me wings and apology cookies, but Scott doesn’t know that. Scott does know that for a moment, Derek’s heart flutters. 

“He cares,” Scott adds.

“At least somebody does,” Derek says bitterly. 

\---

Stiles answers the door and blinks at the bag clearly marked BW. “Love of my life!” he exclaims laughing and Derek smiles.

“Wings never fail me,” Derek agrees, kissing Stiles as he’s pulled in. Stiles hums and pulls away. 

“I can smell the honey barbecue and Thai Curry sauce, honestly you are the light of my life, the best to ever exist, a true hero-”

“There’s also mozzerella sticks,” Derek adds bluntly and Stiles all but moans. He is very enthusiastic about his wings.

“You are a godsend,” he says dreamily. “Come, I set up a movie,” he says, dragging Derek to the living room where he had little fold up tables set up and a movie on and some snacks on the coffee table. “Coffee is brewing.”

“Good,” Derek says, setting up the containers for them.

“What? You look like something is on your mind.”

Derek raises a very expressive brow in response.

“Well?”

“Scott is worried, he wants me to talk to you.” 

Stiles sighs. “Talk to me? What am I? A ten year old?”

“He’s just… he says you’re really going nuts over this.”

“You said you believed me.”

“And I do but maybe… ease up on the whatever it is you’re doing that seems psycho. I know you have reasonable doubt, him being there and not helping you is a reasonable doubt, he could have stopped that, or at least he would have healed, if he’s truly a wolf, but he didn’t… and then he killed someone in return.”

Stiles nods, plopping into the couch, his bright mood fading with the topic. “I feel endlessly guilty about this and he’s not helping his case… He’s going to hate me.”

“He’s not…” Derek insists, watching Stiles wince as he moved his shoulder. “What was that?”

“Nothing… just hurts.”

“What hurts?”

“The bite.”

“Bite?”

“Remember he bit me.”

“He grabbed you.”

“He had a few extra mouths.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me see.”

“Can we get through dinner first?”

This results in staring match, battle of the brows as the two silently debate on stiles revealing the mark. Eventually Stiles gives him with a ridiculous scoff and shake of his head, in spastic fashion as he always seems to do. He puts the plate Derek hands him aside and removes his shirt, showing Derek the mark on his back. 

“Weird,” Is the thing Derek says at first.

“Painful,” is what Stiles mutters in reply.

“Never seen anything like that before?”

“Well… it’s there, it hurts.”

“Maybe we should-”

“No! No… no he’ll tell scott.”

“Who?”

“Who were you suggesting?”

“Fine I just… I should’ve been here.”

“It’s not your fault- ow don’t touch it.”

Derek nods and Stiles sighs, pulling his shirt back on. “I have no idea how to get rid of it.”

“Somebody might…”

“Who?”

“Theo.”

“You’re really suggesting that?”

“I am. You get close to him, you find out his secrets. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Look like thy innocent flower be the serpent underneath?”

“Precisely.”

“So I double the trick. He tries to get between us, I get closer to him, let him help me?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re supposed to be stopping this madness, you’re not catalyzing Scott’s resolve well.”

“No I’m not, but I am curing my boyfriend of what looks very painful but might scar pretty cool.”

“One day you can kiss it all romantic like and maybe I’ll smile.”

“Cute.”

“Hm.”

“Don’t look so unhappy, you luck out of pain and prove Scott that you were right.”

“How many times do I have to prove myself? I’m always right. I just know… I know these things, I know that he’s… well he’s something!”

“Okay… use that knowledge, be a few steps ahead.”

Stiles nods, picking up his plate again and grabbing a mozzarella stick. “Okay…. Okay yeah that makes sense.”

Derek laughs. “I know it does.”

Stiles bites his mozzarella stick, watching Derek with little enthusiasm to his response. “What?”

“Wolfs got jokes tonight, huh?”

“Yeah he does and they’re better than yours.”

“You really got me there Derek, jeez it’s almost like we’re discussing a near death experience.”

“You make fun of mine.”

“No.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah… I do, okay this is fair. I deserve this.”

“You do.”

“I’m helping you, I’m on your side.”

“You better be or else.”

“Or else what?”

“I’ll rip your throat out… with my teeth.”

Derek scoffs and Stiles gives a half hearted smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek. 

“I’m glad you’re here Derek.”

“Anything to keep you safe Stiles…” 

“I hope you know that isn’t going to stop me from throwing myself at danger to protect you.”

“And I’ll pull you back every time. To protect you.”

“I told you before I don’t need protecting.”

“You need me and I’m never not going to protect you.”

“That’s a double edged sword my friend,” Stiles assures and they smile, soft and kind and Derek hates how it doesn’t reach his eyes, how tired he looks, how his once bright and young eyes look so much older. Derek wants to give Stiles the whole world back but the world keeps fighting Stiles to rip it away, rip his youth to shreds, to make him hurt and suffer the way Derek has. Derek takes his cheek in his hand before slowly pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“We’ll turn out  _ okay _ .”

“Yeah… we will one day. But first we have to kick Raekens ass.”


End file.
